ai3Bio has raised $48 million in Series A funding, with UPMC Enterprises and Ziff Capital Partners leading the round. Cockrell Interests and Tanis Ventures also participated. The financing was announced alongside the biotechnology company’s launch on September 29, 2026.
The company plans to use the capital to advance its STARx and T Deplete therapeutic platforms, including IND-enabling studies intended to support progression toward first-in-human trials in autoimmune disease. Both platforms are being developed to target disease-causing Th17 cells in vivo.
STARx uses a lipid nanoparticle to deliver mRNA designed to trigger a targeted self-destruct process in disease-causing Th17 cells. T Deplete takes an antibody-based approach, using a targeting antibody designed to recruit the body’s immune cells to clear the same cell population.
ai3Bio was formed in 2026 through the combination of Novasenta and autoimmune technology originating from Corner Therapeutics. The company combines immunology, antibody engineering, mRNA and lipid nanoparticle technologies with AI-enabled discovery.
The company is led by CEO Steven Altschuler and scientific co-founder Jonathan Kagan. Its leadership team also includes Chief Technology Officer Michael Lyman and Chief Financial and Business Officer Nick Seaver.
ai3Bio said preclinical testing of its lipid nanoparticle technology in blood samples from patients with autoimmune disease demonstrated depletion of disease-causing Th17 cells, while its antibody platform showed activity in a non-human primate model. IND-enabling safety studies are underway.
